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CCAC to carry out investigation into incident involving 16 plots of leased land
A Notice was issued by the Chief Executive to the CCAC today, requesting the latter to carry out a full investigation into an incident recently in the limelight involving 16 plots of land leased by the government. The Commissioner Against Corruption has therefore issued, according to Law no. 10/2000 (Organic Law of the Commission Against Corruption of the Macao Special Administrative Region), an order to carry out an investigation into the incident concerning the said 16 plots of leased land. Once any illegal acts or disciplinary offences are identified during the investigation, the CCAC will deal with them according to law. CCAC will also review the legality and rationality of the concerned administrative procedures, and provide necessary recommendations for improvements. The CCAC will, upon the completion of investigation, notify the Chief Executive of its findings in accordance with the legal provisions and make a timely announcement to the public.
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Commemorative postmark cancellation service of “Science and Technology Week 2015”
To celebrate the Science and Technology Week 2015, Macao Post announced that a Temporary Post Counter will be set up at the Macau Fisherman’s Wharf Hall and our Philatelic Shop located at Macao Post Headquarters during 3rd to 7th July 2015 providing the commemorative cancellation service for the “Science and Technology Week 2015”. Opening hours as follow: 03/07 Main Hall of Macau Fisherman’s Wharf: 14:30 – 18:00 Philatelic Shop of Macao Post Headquarters: 14:30 – 18:00 04-07/07 Main Hall of Macau Fisherman’s Wharf: 10:00 – 20:00 A commemorative envelope will be distributed to public, and various philatelic products will also be available for sale during the above activity. Welcome to visit and collect Macao Stamps.
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Label stamp “Old Streets and Alleys”
Please be informed that, starting from 9:00a.m. on 30th June, 2015, the new label stamps “Old Streets and Alleys” will be available for sale at the automatic stamp vending machines of Macao Post. The service of the relevant machines will be temporarily suspended for the installation of the new label stamps from 3:00p.m. on 29th June, 2015. And the service will be resumed one after another on the next day after 9:00a.m.
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Reorganizing the Anti-human trafficking telephone hotlines
In order to optimize the operation of the telephone hotlines to combat trafficking in persons, facilitate the memorization, increase the usage and the efficiency of providing assistance services to victims, a new 24-hour Report and Assistance Hotline 2888-9911 will be operated starting from 1 July this year. A 6-month transitional period will be given before the expiry of the two existing telephone lines. The merged telephone line will be attended by designated staff of the Public Security Police Force. According to the nature of the assistance required, the police officers will transfer the call to appropriate department to follow up. Any person who would like to report the crime of human trafficking or seek necessary assistance, please immediately call the 24-hour Report and Assistance Hotline at 2888-9911.
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Towards the well-being of the Child through “The Hague Child Abduction and Protection of Children Conventions” – An Asia-Pacific Symposium
The opening ceremony of the 2-day “Towards the well-being of the Child through The Hague Child Abduction and Protection of Children Conventions – An Asia-Pacific Symposium” took place in the Convention Center of the Macao Science Center on 25 June 2015. The Symposium was an event co-organized once again by the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) Asia Pacific Regional Office, the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Law Reform and International Law Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region, after the “Workshop on the 1993 Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention”, held in the Macao SAR in March 2013. The Secretary for Administrative and Justice of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Ms. Sónia Chan Hoi Fan, the Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr. Rimsky Yuen Kwok-keung, the Director-General of the Department of International Organization & Legal Affairs of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Macao SAR, Mr. Li Zhen Hua, and the Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, Mr. Christophe André BERNASCONI, attended the Symposium and delivered their speech at the opening ceremony. The Symposium has its themes on the 1980 Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and the 1996 Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children. Over 100 government representatives, magistrates, experts and scholars from 23 countries or regions in Europe, America, Asia Pacific region, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR attended the Symposium to share their experience, exchange opinions in the implementation of the aforementioned conventions, and at the same time to investigate the complementarities between the two conventions and discuss how to enhance cooperation among countries in areas covered by the conventions through mediation, especially in relation to cooperation with non-contracting parties.
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Consumer Council released specific price survey results on oral care products, tissue papers and milk powder
For the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June, Consumer Council conducted its specific price surveys on oral care products, tissue papers and milk powder on 24 June. Results of the mentioned surveys have been uploaded to the Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and are available in the Council’s ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps. For inquiry, please call the Council’s hotline: 8988 9315.
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Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey, 31 December 2014
The Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey (CPIS), jointly conducted by the Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) and the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), is aimed at collecting information on Macao residents’ investment in securities issued by unrelated non-residents, in terms of market value and geographical distribution. The results as at 31 December 2014 are summarised as follows: On 31 December 2014, investment of Macao residents (including individuals, the government and other legal entities but excluding Macao’s foreign exchange reserves) in securities issued by unrelated non-residents reached MOP399.1 billion at current market value, down by 4.1% from 30 June 2014 yet up by 2.3% year-on-year. Among various instruments of portfolio investment, equity securities, long-term debt securities and short-term debt securities were valued at MOP155.0 billion, MOP228.9 billion and MOP15.2 billion respectively. In comparison with end-2013, investment in equity securities, of which mutual funds and investment trust units amounted to MOP32.0 billion, dropped by 9.5%. Investment in long-term debt securities and short-term debt securities grew by 12.2% and 2.5% respectively. By geographical distribution, the Asian region made up the largest share of Macao residents’ external portfolio investment at 70.1%. The rest was mainly placed in Europe (10.6%), North Atlantic and Caribbean (10.3%), North America (6.3%) and Oceania (2.3%). Investment in securities issued by Mainland Chinese entities, including those securities listed on non-Mainland exchanges, continued to assume the leading position, occupying 48.3% of local residents’ portfolio investment outside Macao. Its market value reached MOP192.9 billion, 8.2% up from a year ago. The investment consisted of MOP28.2 billion in equity securities, MOP151.7 billion in long-term debt securities and MOP13.0 billion in short-term debt securities, constituting 18.2%, 66.3% and 85.5% of the respective total. On the other hand, the share of investment in securities issued by Hong Kong entities fell from 29.7% at end-2013 to 18.3%, with the corresponding market value falling by 36.9% to MOP73.1 billion, of which equity securities and long-term debt securities amounted to MOP58.2 billion and MOP13.6 billion respectively. The share of investment in European securities rose by 1.9 percentage points from end-2013 to 10.6%, and the corresponding market value surged by 24.3% to MOP42.3 billion. Among European countries, Luxembourg took the largest share with a market value of MOP14.5 billion, an increase of 10.8% from end-2013. Meanwhile, the market value of Macao residents’ portfolio investment in the United Kingdom picked up by 21.9% from end-2013 to MOP8.8 billion. Investment in the Netherlands, Ireland and France also grew by 131.4%, 26.7% and 9.2% respectively in market value. Macao residents’ portfolio investment in the North Atlantic and Caribbean continued to increase. The market value of investment in this region rose by 33.1% from end-2013 to MOP41.2 billion, with its share in the total investment abroad rising to 10.3%. In particular, the market value of portfolio investment in the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands swelled by 41.1% and 54.0% from end-2013 to MOP25.0 billion and MOP9.7 billion respectively, whereas that in Bermuda dipped by 4.9% to MOP6.4 billion. The bulk of investment in North America was placed in the United States. The market value of Macao residents’ investment in US securities soared by 154.9% from end-2013 to MOP22.6 billion, pushing the corresponding share in the total portfolio investment abroad up from 2.3% to 5.7%. The market value of investment in long-term US debt securities grew by 40.4% year-on-year to MOP8.9 billion, representing the fourth largest share in the respective category. During 2014, Macao residents’ investment in long-term debt securities issued by Australian entities surged by 183.6% to a market value of MOP8.6 billion, which lifted the share of portfolio investment in Oceania from 1.0% a year ago to 2.3% at end-2014.
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Macao’s bridging a special role in “Belt and Road”
Macao’s ties with China and the Portuguese-speaking countries could be a special feature in the establishment of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (“Belt and Road”). This is according to the Deputy Director of Faculty for Borderland History of the Chinese Academy of Social Science, Mr Li Guoqiang, who spoke today at a workshop on the strategy, risk and choices of Macao in the building of “Belt and Road”. In line with the country’s development blueprint, Macao is positioned as a world centre of tourism and leisure, and a commercial and trade co-operation service platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, as a strategic move for diversifying its economy structure. The work of specifying Macao’s jurisdiction over its customary waters could also bring opportunity in pressing ahead of the development of maritime economy, Li said. The initiative of promoting further integration of Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan was mentioned in an action plan outlining the country’s strategic vision. Topics were also discussed in the workshop included the direction of “Belt and Road”, the opportunities bring to Macao in regional co-operation, and how to accommodate Macao’s resources in tourist and culture, and the capacity of returned of overseas Chinese under the nation’s strategic development. The workshop, moderated by the Acting Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office Mr Kou Chin Hung and the Government Spokesperson Mr Chan Chi Ping, was attended by the Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mr Ho Hau Wah, the Secretary-General of the Chinese Academy of Social Science Mr Gao Xiang and more than 230 members of the Election Committee for the fourth term Chief Executive of Macao SAR.
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MGTO Director is appointed PATA Executive Board Member
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has been appointed the Director of Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes to serve as a member of PATA Executive Board and the Chairman of PATA Nominating Committee. The PATA Executive Board determines industry policies and positions of PATA as the governing body of the Association. It is also responsible for governing the corporate affairs and operations of PATA. The Nominating Committee, on the other hand, is primarily in charge of proposing a slate of candidates to fill vacant seats in the PATA Board. Director Senna Fernandes considers it a great honor to receive PATA’s appointment to hold the two significant posts. She will be devoted to supporting the Association’s endeavor to foster the sustainable tourism development in Asia Pacific. The term of service is for one year. MGTO has long been a PATA Board member. For decades, PATA has made a valuable platform for Macau to promote its tourism image and connect the local travel trade stakeholders to the world. Founded in 1951, PATA is a non-profit membership association dedicated to building responsible development of the Asia-Pacific travel and tourism industry. Macau has been a member of PATA since 1958. Among PATA members are 87 government, state and city tourism bodies, 31 airlines, airports and cruise lines, 61 educational institutions and hundreds of travel industry companies. In addition, there are 43 PATA Chapters and 13 PATA Student Chapters worldwide, including the PATA Macau Chapter and the PATA Macau Student Chapter.
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MGTO presents awards for photo competition, student drawing competition and trophy design competition of 26th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest
Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) held the prize-giving ceremony for photo competition, student drawing competition and trophy design competition of 26th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest today (23 June). The ceremony was held at Tourism Activities Centre. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of Youth Activities Centre of “Exterior Port” of Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Chan Wun San, Acting Chief of Cultural Events Department of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Paula Lei, Acting Head of Navigational Channels Division of Marine and Water Bureau, Lao Weng Yu, Head of Department of Cultural Activities and Recreation of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Choi Chi Hong, Acting Director of School of Arts of Macau Polytechnic Institute, Dai Bai Sheng as well as photography and media representatives awarded prizes for photo competition, student drawing competition and trophy design competition of 26th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest. The list of awardees is published on MGTO website and the awarded works are displayed at the lobby of Tourism Activities Centre starting from today (23 June) to 26 July. Macau International Fireworks Display Contest organized by Macau Government Tourist Office is a spectacular annual event of Macau. The splendid fireworks displays by fireworks teams from around the world attract numerous visitors and residents every year. To enhance residents’ involvement in this event and provide them an opportunity to utilize their talents and creativity, MGTO organizes photo competition and student drawing competition every year for Macau residents, and the trophy design competition is also included since 2013. Awarded works of the trophy design competition may even be used as the design of trophies to the winning teams of the fireworks display contest in the following year. 27th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest photo competition, student drawing competition and trophy design competition are now open for entries and welcome all residents’ participation. Regulations and application forms (in Chinese and Portuguese) of the competitions can be viewed and downloaded from the Macau International Fireworks Display Contest themed website: http://fireworks.macautourism.gov.mo. MGTO will continue to organize diversified activities for residents and visitors, to immerse the whole city in a festive atmosphere and attract more visitors from around the world. This press release is available at: http://industry.macautourism.gov.mo/en
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